by Megan Larson: Asking the question “Who am I?” is not a new contemplation.

Many spiritual traditions have used this inquiry as a path to freedom and liberation. When we examine our lives, we notice the many roles and identities we accumulate along the way. While many of these are functional—allowing us to engage with society and maintain healthy relationships—they are ultimately just roles.

In my own experience, it has been deeply liberating to question the labels and identities I’ve placed upon myself, as well as the categories others project onto me. Ultimately, everything and everyone acts as a mirror, reflecting our own inner state back to us. When we experience a trigger or activation, it is powerful to pause the storyline and ask: Who is the one getting activated? Looking deeply reveals that we are far more than our transient thoughts and concepts. Breaking through the illusion of self can be life-changing, allowing us to engage with others from truth rather than delusion. Delusion is simply believing an illusion is real, and doing so invariably creates suffering.

Recently, I had a powerful dialogue with a close friend. While my awareness was listening, I could feel the parts of myself that didn’t match their story becoming activated. It is a fascinating space to explore how our projections and self-narratives contribute to our own suffering.

Practices like self-reflection, inquiry, and contemplation serve as doorways to liberation. It takes courage to question the beliefs we have always been taught are absolute, and it can be uncomfortable to uproot the habitual thought patterns we use to define reality. Asking “Who am I?” is a simple practice that opens us to infinite possibilities beyond our self-imposed boxes. When I ask this question, I peel back society-imposed descriptions like gender and social roles. Looking deeper, I ask: Am I simply my body? My name? As I keep going, I unravel these limited categories until I reach the awareness beneath it all. This awareness is unbound by names, titles, or identities. In that space, a new reality emerges, and the burden of self-grasping dissolves.

Awaken Enlightenment

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Source: AWAKEN